The Small and Medium Business Administration and the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association held a ceremony marking Business Women’s Day on Wednesday. President Park Geun-hye spoke there and promised to establish an environment where women don’t have to end their careers midway to raise their children.

Throughout its 17-year run, this is the first time a president has turned up at the event.

In her speech, Park vowed to create an environment where work and home stand side by side. She said the government will create support measures for female workers that will meet their needs during pregnancy, childbirth, rearing and education. She also stressed the importance of reemployment policies for women returning to work.

Economic participation of 20-something women outpaced their male counterparts for the first time ever last year but the ratio is different past age 30.

The participation rate of women in their 30s was 55-point-eight percent in the first quarter, compared to men’s 92-point-six percent. The gap is due to women who stop working midway through their career as they become mothers.

President Park said in her speech that attention to detail, sensitivity and the communication skills of women will be an important foundation to building a creative economy which merges information technology, culture and imagination. She stressed the government will do its best to foster a work friendly environment for women.